Lead in Paints Sold in the Philippines (2023)

From May to July 2023, the Philippines IPEN member EcoWaste Coalition purchased a total of 46 cans of paints intended for decorative and industrial applications from stores in 10 cities and one municipality. The group also purchased some paints from online sellers. The paints represented 27 different brands produced by 22 manufacturers. All paints were analyzed by an accredited laboratory for their lead content.

Twenty out of 46 analyzed paints for decorative and industrial uses (43 percent of paints) were lead paints, meaning they contain lead concentrations above 90 parts per million (ppm), the regulatory limit for lead in paint in the US and many other countries. Moreover, 14 paints (30 percent of paints) contained extremely high lead concentrations above 10,000 ppm. The highest lead concentration detected was 98,000 ppm in a yellow Gold Urethane Paint used in automotive applications.

Tests showed 26 out of 46 analyzed paints (57 percent of paints) did not contain intentionally added lead, suggesting that the technology to produce paint without lead ingredients exists in the Philippines.

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